Carrier



Mild! 1 3- J. c. HENDRICKS, JR., ETAL 2,314,143

CARRIER iled Feb. 19. 1940 BY flonakifilU/wekt Patented Mar. 16, 1943 John C. Hendricks, J r., Richard L. Snideman, and Donald P. Wheeler, Elkhart, Ind.

Application February 19, 1940, Serial No. 319,660

1 Claim.

This invention relates to carriers. The specific embodiments herein shown and described in detail are bottle carriers. However, the invention is not to be limited to the carrying of bottles, as the structure and mode of operation herein disclosed may be utilized in carriers for other articles.

Soft drinks in bottles are now generally available at grocery stores, markets, filling stations, and the like. The scheme of merchandising in general use involves selling the customer half a dozen bottles by providing a carrier of that capacity. The carrier serves as a convenient packaging means, and carrying or handling means for the bottles both on the out-going trip, when the full bottles are purchased, and on the return trip, when the bottles are returned.

It is an object of our invention to provide a bottle carrier comprising a metal frame formed of thin bar, strip or wire stock, which is light, strong and sanitary, this frame having carrying means comprising a handle restrained against turning movement so as to be readily accessible, the handle being movable into an upper position, in which it may readily be grasped for transporting the carrier, and into a lower position, in which it will not interfere with stacking of the loaded carriers. It will be understood that the carrying means of our invention may be incorporated with any suitable frame structure and the latter may, for example, be of a character.

for receiving a renewable cardboard or like thin sheet liner which, with the frame, constitutes a receptacle with the additional function of providing a display area for the contained goods and a medium for color and advertising, such, for example, as a display of the trade-mark of the contained goods.

Now in order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner of constructing and operating a device embodying our invention, we shall describe, in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, a specific embodiment of the invention and the manner of using the same.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a carrier embodying our invention; and

Figure 2 is an end view of the carrier of Figure 1 having a thin cardboard liner with the bottles disposed therein, the raised position of the handle being indicated in dotted lines and its lowered position being shown in full lines.

embodies three elements, namely, the floor I, the belt 2 and the bail or carrying means 3.

The belt 2 comprises a continuous length of wire comprising the side members 9 and I0 and the end members [2 and I3 forming a generally rectangular figure. The floor member consists of a rectangular frame of wire having the end members 46, 41 and the side members 48, 49. A longitudinal stringer wire 58 and a transverse stringer wire 52 complete the floor member. The carrying element comprises a wooden grip or handle 53a mounted on a wire ball 54 having an elongated loop at each side of the handle 53a. It will be noted that the elongated loops 64, 65 provide slots permitting the handle 53a to drop down out of the way when the handle is not used. Collars such as 66 may be mounted on the longitudinal wire to keep the handle centrally positioned, and a longitudinal run of wire 55a may be used to keep the handle upright. Alternatively, the wire rod 55 may be flattened. The end frames 55 and 51 are inverted U-shaped wires of which the curved diverging portions terminate in the legs constituting vertical posts 26, 21, 23 and 29 joining the belt 2 and the floor I. In the present instance the belt 2 and the rectangular frame of the floor are formed of one piece of wire which is continued as indicated at 58, alongside the post 29. However, it will be understood that the construction of the rectangular frame and the bail and end frames may be varied widely and need not in the practice of our invention be constructed in the manner above described.

Further, it will be understood that the rectangular frame may be a solid piece or formed with additional longitudinally and transversely extending members to provide a suitable support for receiving the articles to be carried by the carrier.

In Figure 2 we have shown a carton or container for insertion into the carrier of Figure 1, and it comprises a bottom panel 39 which may, for example, be one piece or may be formed of several sub-panels, as desired, and the side panels 40 and 42 lying within the embrace of the belt member 2. When the carton or container described is used in conjunction with the carrier of the present invention the bottles are held tightly in position in the carrier and the fit is sufficiently snug so that the bottles can not rattle around in the container. Obviously modifications in details for various forms of bottles or the like are contemplated.

It will be understood that the several wire The carrier frame shown in Figures 1 and 2 55 members making up the frame may be secured together by twisting or wrapping one strand around another, or welding, soldering, or the like, and the finish may be either tinned, plated, enameled, or otherwise as desired.

With the construction of a carrier as above described and the incorporation of the handle 53a it will be seen that the handle may be disposed in a position below the tops of the bottles 59 contained within the container so that the con tainers may be conveniently stored one on top of another in vertical rows.

We do not intend to be limited to the precise TY details shown and described, as numerous modiiications and variations and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claim.

We claim:

cured to and extending upward from the upper ends of said posts, a carrying member secured to the upper ends of said frames centrally thereof overlying said floor element at the transverse center thereof, said floor element being of a length and a. width to receive bottles supported thereon arranged in two rows at opposite sides of said carrying member, handle means comprising a substantially U-shaped bail and a handle thereon, said bail having arms in the form of elongated loops slidable on said carrying member for relative vertical movement and movable downward sufficiently to dispose said handle below the In a bottle carrier, a floor element rectangular tops of the bottles, and means secured to said l carrying member supplementary to and cooperat- 'ing with said arms for holding said bail against turning movement about said carrying member.

JOHN C. HENDRICKS, JR. RICHARD L. SNIDEMAN, DONALD P. WHEELER. 

